THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

am. 6 at 8:15 AP on dirt roads.  Legs actually didn't feel too bad from last night.

pm 5.05 7:44 AP in Derby.  It is hard to slow down when it rolls up and down so much because my tendency is to push uphills and let it fly on downhills.

8:27 AP. Treadmill during naptime.  Took Vanessa to her first movie theater experience today and watched "Tangled".  It was great!

8:24 AP.  Dirt roads plus one Sienna Ranch loop.  Legs are dead and ran pretty slow except for one .33 mile section at 6:35 pace.  I hope my legs are not this dead for the race tomorrow but if they are I will at least force a tempo out of it.

I refuse to call this a race.  I have bombed another one and seem to be stuck in tempo mode.  I woke up to below freezing temps and  lovely 22mph north wind.   I'll make this brief. I woke up, ate two cookies and a cup of coffee and drove downtown.  I warmed up 1.85 miles with Eddy.  The four mile race started and immediately I realized my right shoe was untied.  It felt loose and not right but my hands were so cold there was no way I could have stopped and tied it so I ran on.  Whoever was supposed to point the right way at the trick part crossing the river a few times evidently abandoned his post, because my group got it all wrong and finally crossed a street with no traffic control to get back down on the path.  From talking to folks afterward, there were multiple different versions run of the course.  I ended up in a disheartened fourth place with a worse time then last year. 4.04 in 27:41(6:51 pace).    My legs were tight and tired.  I went in, ate a doughnut, drank some water, found my husband and son, and then jogged .85 miles and lined up for the mile.  I ran it in 6:23 and was the first woman to cross the line, but that is a terrible time for me.  Next I ate a hamburger.  Then I picked up a few medals for winning my age group and the mile, and then we went home.  I just ate two more cookies.  Nick did a good job running the mile!  Overall I'm going to call it a good tempo workout and move on.  I plan to run more this evening to offset all the crap I'm eating today.  I'm going to keep my eyes on the goal--Houston--and I should actually be tapered and rested for that one.

8:04 AP, mostly in Sienna Ranch, mostly just to burn off a few extra calories.

am.  8.04 at 8:12 AP, dirt roads.  It was 18 degrees.  I though the tights and underarmour with shirt and shorts over would be enough but my skin was angry red, itchy, and mottled afterward on my chest, stomach, and thighs.  It is getting very close to time to break out the fleece.

pm. 6 at  8:18 pace on the treadmill.  Mostly slow except for the last .35 at 6:40 pace because of the JC Chasez "Blowing me up " song.  Very dance-y.  Day 2 of cleaning up my diet.  I've been in a funk but the cookies and beer have got to go because I am quite sure I have put on a few pounds--my clothes don't lie.  8 weeks until Houston so I've got enough time to get mega-healthy and at a good race weight.  Hopefully I feel better too!

7:52 AP.  Intention was 3x2 but my legs were so very tired that I realized after the first set of two it would be wise to back off and not overstress and get an injury. This was on the treadmill while Vanessa chose to watch Wall-E, again.  You know how kids get stuck on a movie and want to watch it over and over?--well, for Vanessa it is Wall-E, which is not exactly good running viewing.  Anyways I warmed up slow 2 miles, did 2 at 6:49 pace and realized that between Saturday and heavy mileage yesterday I was just not ready to do this today.  Slowed down to 7:30 pace, then slowed down more to 8:34 pace, made it to mile 6 and in a sort of rebellion did one more in 6:49, then slowed down for the last 3 miles.  Sweat levels were off the charts today, especially for me.  Now it gets funky, when I stepped off the treadmill I felt sick and the room started spinning. I leaned over the stairs for a minute until I felt a little more steady, and then curiousity got the best of me.  I stumbled my foggy head out to the car and got my glucometer out of the nursing bag.  Is it low blood sugar? Nope, 116--my body is doing a most excellent job of releasing adequate sugar into my bloodstream.  I chugged a few glasses of water but by then I was already feeling much better.  Made a banana milkshake with frozen banana, milk, and egg and drank it and now I feel perfectly fine.  Strange.  I am almost wondering if it was motion sickness from the treadmill and watching the movie.

pm. 3.03 miles in 7:48, 7:09, 7:07--just needed to get outside and run and it felt good.  squeezed this one in really quick before Nick's concert then took a superfast power shower and went and watched Nick and his classmates sing Christmas songs.  Oh the season of kid's Christmas programs has begun.

8:11 AP.  started at 8:34 miles and worked my way down--whenever my knuckle hit the console I knew it was time to speed up.  My husband did some p90x and when he was done, so was I!  Day 4 of eating right and I feel good.

am. 8 at 8:34 pace on the treadmill, nice and easy.  I have to run really easy until Saturday because my faithful-best-running-buddy-ever Eddy has agreed to run 18 at 5am Saturday with me(since I am on call and have a better chance of running call-free early), and I know he will push the pace and for once I am going to try really hard not to whine and just keep up.

pm. 5.04 at 7:42 pace, mostly in Sienna Ranch

8:36 AP. dirt roads.  Listened to music and concentrated on holding the reigns in.  I will eat a lot tonight to prepare for a killer 18 tomorrow.

7:32 AP.  Got up at 4:10, drank some coffee, and ate a piece of peanut butter toast.  Roaring through the streets with Eddy by a little before 5.  Once again, ran straight through with no stops for water or fuel.  Eddy is nursing a sore achilles so I actually got a little mercy today.  The run is nothing to write home about, but I have just completed my first 80 mile week ever.  Day 7 of eating right.  Splits 8:41, 8:07, 8:00, 7:36, 7:35, 7:42, 7:25, 7:19, 7:27, 7:27, 7:31, 7:29, 7:25, 7:12, 7:16, 7:14, 7:07, 6:55, last little bit at 6:23 pace.  

am.  6 at 8:02 AP.  Dirt roads.  This was a test run to see how I felt after a nasty stomach bug yesterday.  I felt alright--must be because of my husband's invention--jello made with gatorade instead of water--kept me hydrated.

pm. 5.03 at 7:49 AP.  Sienna Ranch.  

8:22 AP.  treadmill.  Up at 4:10, on the gerbil wheel at 4:30.  Today is my first day at my new part time job at the jail.  Should be interesting.

7:32 AP.  3x2 at MP, and my goal was to be realistic about it, so I ran the MP miles at a pace that felt smooth and relaxed.  The first two sets were in Pauls Valley, and the 3rd was in Sienna Ranch.  2 mile warm up 9:12, 8:33, 2 at mp 7:06, 7:05, .5 at 7:32 pace, 2 at mp 7:04, 7:07, .5 at 7:41 pace, 2 at mp 7:06, 7:03, .3 cooldown at 7:52 pace.  I have things to do today, like an interview with Lifeteam as a flight nurse/medic--very interested!

8:19 AP.  Treadmill.  4:00am

am.  Dirt roads. 8 at 7:29 AP.  Started out shuffling happily along but got to feeling good and the pace escalated, with last 3 in 7:14, 7:12, 6:42.

pm. treadmill. 4 at 7:54 pace.

Today my schedule called for a 15k time trial.  It was such a HUGE breakthrough that I made it a race report!  I got out of my job at the jail, changed in the locker room, warmed up 1.06 at 7:34 pace running to the river path, and started.  I wore racing flats and listened to music, and ran with reckless abandon, and felt AMAZING the whole time.

6:35, 6:31, 6:35, 6:36(26:17 so far, 4 mile PR)

6:39( 32:56 total, there goes my 8k/5 mile pr!)

6:47(39:43, so shortly after this my 10k pr fell!)

6:52, 6:50, 6:44, last .31 at 6:52 pace  1:02:21--massive 15k PR!

stopped, walked, looked at my splits and practically jumped up and down with excitement!

1.03 mile cool down at 7:23 pace.

Was it the racing flats?  Was it the music?  Was it the mileage? Am I down a few pounds from eating better?  I dunno, but this was a breakthrough.

am.  8 on dirt roads at 7:59 AP.  Would've been slower except I got chased up a hill by a Beagle around mile 5 and kinda picked it up for the rest of the run.  My calves are sore.  I am sure they are not accustomed to racing flats and that is the reason.   Would it be foolish to try the racing flats out on a long run this weekend?  I think they make me faster and am toying with the idea of wearing them for Houston. am planning a few more this pm...

pm. 5. treadmill at 8:25 pace

This was a wild impromptu 1 am run!  After a suggestion by Lacy on facebook, a group of us decided to run under the lunar eclipse.  I met Lacy at 1:00am at HS, and we ran to the downtown square and met up with four other people.  The four of us then ran through downtown in the middle of the street to the bridge and the Keeper of the Plains statue for a lovely view and pictures.  It was really magical and beautiful.  Then we ran back to the downtown square and me and Lacy ran back to HS.  It was good to run together and talk with my friendly local race rival Lacy and meet a few new people.  I drank extra coffee this morning at work in the jail!

2.69 at 7:36 pace to downtown.

3.11 at 8:28 pace to the bridge and back

2.66 at 7:52 pace back to HS

am. 9.3 at 7:15 AP.  Had a hard time getting motivated for faster stuff in 22 degrees in tights, shorts, and two shirts.  Going north the wind was cold and I was too cold, going south I was overdressed and too hot.  Calves are STILL tight.  Felt like my legs were giving out the last tempo mile. 3x2 day. 

2 mile warm up 8:34, 8:08

2 miles 6:45, 6:45

.5 at 7:40 pace

2 6:40, 6:55

.5 at 7:42 pace

2 at 6:41, 6:56

.3 cool down

pm.  4 treadmill 8:17 pace

4am.  Garmin was dead, so I ran sans technology in the cold moonlight.  Big winter storm coming...supposedly.

7:24 AP.  No Garmin.  Just checked my phone clock at the beginning and end--2:28. I ran without fuel or water and seemed to be okay, just the usual end of 20-miler fatigue.  Off to an evening with family.

8:21 AP.  Nice and easy recovery on the treadmill.  Merry Christmas everyone!

8:05 AP--dirt roads.  Too gorgeous not to run today.

am.  8.32 at 8:30 AP.  Sluggish moonlit run.  Half asleep.  Long but great weekend!  Can't even type in full sentences. 

pm. 5 at 7:49 pace on the treadmill

7:41 AP.  4am again, but really beautiful, cold, moonlit morning.  No wind to speak of--the one nice thing about the wee hours.  I felt pretty decent after a while

am.  13.14 at 7:17 AP. It was dark and foggy and I couldn't see my watch which complicated things a bit trying to do 5x2 at MP.  

8:50 warm up, sets were 7:08, 7:03--6:55, 6:57--6:52, 7:01--7:03, 7:04--7:00, 6:52

7:26 AP.  Changed after work and went straight along the river path.  Can you believe it was over 60 degrees today?!  I wore shorts and a tank top.  It will be back to 20 degrees tomorrow.  Only in Kansas.....felt sluggish and tight at first but loosened up and then felt pretty good.

Happy New Year! Bear with me if this post gets windy. I am in need of shoes, so decided to try and win the resolution run 5k in El Dorado instead of doing the beer run part. I got off work and barely had time to get my running clothes on, drop the kids off at Grandma's and go to El Dorado. 1.12 mile warm up. It was cold and wicked windy and I knew a PR was pretty much a no go. I scoped out the competition and spotted my biggest threat, Molly, a high school track state champion from El Dorado who usually beats me. Before I knew it the gun was off. Molly took the lead for about the first 1/3rd mile, then I passed her and ran scared. There were a few icy bridges where I had to slow down because I could feel my feet losing traction. At every switchback and corner I could see her and she was right behind me, no more than a few seconds. In the third mile I had visions of her outkicking me on the home stretch with her track speed. The final half mile I decided I better push hard and make a gap or she would get me. It was windy and hard to push but I gave it what I had and was relieved to cross the line first. Time was 20:07, not a PR but I'll take it! I immediately ran to Darcy, grabbed the camera, and ran back down the course to get pictures of my husband and Tyson drinking beer and running. It was great! They did awesome! We drank some beer afterward! 1.13 mile cool down running along the course taking pictures. It was a good time! I talked to Molly a little afterward and she is so sweet and nice! Runners in general tend to be great folks!

It's been a wonderful year. There have been a lot of ups and downs, in life, in running, in general. I've made some great friends, and I appreciate the ones who have always been there for me. I have the most incredible husband and kids ever. I've left my beloved job as a paramedic and miss it dearly, but have discovered new opportunities in nursing. I've lost some loved ones, but they have left legacies and I can only hope that I am half the person they were. I've won one marathon, and staggered to a disappointing and painful finish in the other one. I am humbled almost daily by the amazing people in my life. God has blessed me far, far beyond what I deserve. Bring it on 2011!